#AlfiesTurns40

This year marks Alfies Antique Market’s 40th year in business, to celebrate this impressive anniversary, we had a week of celebrations in conjunction with the London Design Festival between September 20 – September 24, which included pop up shops from London Glassblowing and the Antiques Young Guns collective, plus talks and demonstrations from antiques expert Mark Hill and Alfies' dealers. 

We had a special evening on the 22nd, our dealers plus special guests were treated to a compelling speech from Alfies' founder Bennie Gray who gave us a fascinating and nostalgic insight into Alfies past. Peter Layton who established London Glassblowing in 1976, also gave us a wonderful speech.

We would like to thank all our guests and customers for attending our celebrations and making it a dynamic and special week! Here are some pictures from the event...

Complimentary bubbly & cupcakes!

The London Glassblowing Pop-up at Alfies

The Antiques Young Guns Pop-up shop on Church Street

Emilia of Thirteen Interiors Workshop talking about the Art of Upholstery

20th Century Glass with Mark Hill

Alfies' Dealers and Gail of Antique News & Fairs

Alfies' dealers

Peter Layton of London Glassblowing

Alfies' founder Bennie Gray

Photo: Creative Jewellery Company

#AlfiesTurns40: Antiques Young Guns Church Street Pop-Up

If you haven't already heard - we are celebrating our 40th anniversary this month in conjunction with the London Design Festival! We are very excited about the series of events we have lined up, kicking off on the 20th and running until 24th September. Not only will we have a residency from Peter Layton's London Glassblowing, and talks from antiques expert Mark Hill and established vintage fashion dealer Leslie Verrinder of Tin Tin Collectables, not to mention an upholstery demonstration from Thirteen Upholstery Workshop, we are also pleased to welcome the Antiques Young Guns collective, who will be taking over the magnificent space at 35-37 Church Street with their pop-up shop.

With several of the shops on Church Street having started from stalls within Alfies, the Alfies and Church Street area has a lot to offer to antique and design lovers and should be considered as a must visit destination!

Expect to find a myriad of covetable objects from the following AYG dealers:

• Lily Johnston of Bombe Antiques - www.bombeinteriors.co.uk

• Matthew Wise of Cubbit Antiques - www.cubbitantiques.com

• Edd Thomas of Eddintheclouds Antiques - www.eddintheclouds.com

• Jason Clarke of Jason Clarke Antiques - www.jasonclarkeantiques.co.uk

• Stephanie Connell of Stepannie Connell Art & Antiques  - www.stephanieconnell.com

• Eddy Toshi Ishikawa Wertheim of The Japanese Gallery - www.japanese-gallery.com

• Jon Irvine of Jon Irvine Antiques - www.antiquesyoungguns.co.uk/dealers/jon-irvine-antiques.html

To give you a little taster of what you might find in the Antiques Young Guns pop-up shop, here's some of our favourite objects from each dealer:

19th century marginal mirror from Bombe Interiors

David Klein (1918-2005): An original TWA London travel poster, 1960s, from Stephanie Connell

Pair of Stilnovo style pendant lights - Cubitt Antiques

Photo album produced c1900 with wooden covers coated with black lacquer, from The Japanese Gallery

Thomas Webb cut glass decanter set, from Jon Irvine Antiques

Thonet Bentwood rocking chair No.4, from Edd in the Clouds

Victorian aesthetic movement duet piano stool, from Jason Clarke Antiques

Antiques Young Gun of the Year 2014

The eagerly awaited confirmation of the Antiques Young Gun of the Year awards 2014 can now be revealed! The team behind this fast growing and now very high profile movement, designed to promote members of the antiques trade, aged 39 and under, George Johnson, Mark Hill and editor of Antiques News and Fairs Gail McLeod, are delighted to announce that the awards ceremony and party will take place on Friday 4 July 2014 and will be hosted here at Alfies Antiques Market!

Winner – The Antiques Young Gun 2013 – Timothy Medhurst.
From left: Organiser George Johnson, celebrity designer Nicky Haslam, Timothy Medhurst, Mark Hill

We are delighted to be hosting the awards this year and fully support the campaign. Last year we welcomed Alys Dobbie of Nanadobbie to Alfies for two months as part of the special Judge's Prize.  

Bennie Gray - who opened Alfies in 1976 - told Antiques News & Fairs: "These days the politicians are all saying it’s the entrepreneurial spirit that will save our economy. Which I think is true - of course the antiques trade has always been one of the most fertile breeding grounds for entrepreneurs, especially those with a fine eye for design. So it is a great privilege and a great pleasure for our antique markets to welcome and support the Young Guns. We wish them well.”

Winner of the special Judge’s Prize 2013, Alys Dobbie of Nanadobbie. From left: George Johnson, Alys Dobbie, Nicky Haslam, Mark Hill

Roof Top Kitchen

The awards ceremony and party will take place in the Rooftop Kitchen when the organisers will announce not only the winners and runners up but also which winning Young Gun will be matched with which of the twelve mentors, aka Antiques Heavy Artillery.

The names of the Antiques Heavy Artillery will be announced at the party to celebrate the 25th Bath Decorative Antiques Fair on Thursday 6 March 2014.

This group of twelve has been drawn from the most experienced and well known members of the trade across all sectors, aged 40 and over, and each has agreed to donate at least three days of their time over a twelve month period, from 4 July, to mentor one winning Antiques Young Gun.

Details of the prize package and how to get involved will be released at The Bath Decorative Antiques Fair.

Visit the Antique Young Guns website and follow the updates at: www.antiquesnews.co.uk